Gasoline service station pump with gas and water separator



June 8, 1954 P. R. FISHBURN 2,680,538 GASOLINE SERVICE STATION PUMP WITH GAS AND WATER SEPARATOR Flled May 7 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l P. R. FISHBURN I 2,680,538 NE SERVICE STATION PUMP ITH GAS AND WATER SEPARATOR GAsoLI w June 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1951 .JLJ [J INVENTOR.

June 8, 1954 P. R. FISHBURN 2,680,538 GASOLINE SERVICE STATION PUMP WITH GAS AND WATER SEPARATOR Flled May 7, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III ZIP 7 INVENTOR.

are .srAras ears GASOLINE SERVICE STATION PUMP "WITH GAS AND WATER SEPARATQR Paul R. Fishburn, Erie, Pa., assignor to Eric Meter Systems, Inc., Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May '7, 1951, Serial No. 224,954 4 Claims. (01. 22223) T ()FFIQE mixed with the gasoline delivered by the dis roravolatile fiuld such as gasoline, the maximum pensing pump Not only does the water have a lift 1S appioximately 12 to 15 feet so that the harmful efiect upon the motor veh cle operation, pump must necessarily be located clo e to the but it also decreases the accuracy and service life ground. At the top of the pump, the computer of the pump meter. register is indicated at 5, the sight gauge at 6,

While the harmful effects of water in gasoline and the discharge hose at 1. By requirement of have long bee understood and gasoline dethe Weights and Measures, the sight gauge 6 10 must be at the high point of the gasoline dishave no provisions for eliminating water from writers. These requirements combine to locate restricted by the operating requirements and by are concerned. regulations of the Underwriters and of Weights Below the computer register is a meter 8 havand Measures. The pump suction must be as ing a drive 9 to the register, an intake line Ill,

nating air between the pump discharge and the iivered, it is essential that the incoming line It meter. Weights and Measures and the Underand the meter be filled with gasoline at all times writers place limits on the location of the comand that no air be mixed with the gasoline. Below puter dial. the meter is a driving motor I2 having a belt This invention is intended to provide a comdriv 3 t t pump The driving motor 15 Duting gasoline service station pump lntermounted on top of a casing I4 housing the pum changeable with the present pumps and complyinlet anddischarge and water and air separators ing with the regulations of the Underwriters and presently to be described.

of Weights and Measures which also includes a The pump suction inlet pipe 2 is threaded into gasoline dehydrator incorporated in the pressure an opening 15 (Fig. 6) leading to a strainer I 6 chamber between the pump discharge and t accessible for cleaning upon removal of a plug meter. This pressure chamber is an essential 17, The gasoline flowing through the strainer chamber it is feasible to include dehydration in ntaine withi the pump, The pump disa pump Which s nterchangeable with the standcharges through a passage I9 toa pressure chamard service Station pump ber 28 having its front end closed by a removable In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a ,front elevation cgver m t 25, h gasoline entering t prespartly broken away of a gasoline service station Sure h b go flow through a pack of a pump, Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation'of stance selectively wettable by gasoline and not the pumping and water and air separation unit, by water such a excelsior 22 arranged between Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 screens 23. While flowing through the excelsior is a bottom view of the water and air separation particles of dirt are filtered out of the gasounit with the pump removed, Fig. 5 is a top view line and any water in the gasoline, whether in of the unit with the motor removed, Fig. 6 is a the form of drops or emulsion, is brought tosection on line 65 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a top gether in "the form or" large drops which settle view of the air and water separation unit broken on the bottom wall it of the chamber and flow away to show the floats controlling the atmcsthrough an opening 25 into a sump 26. While pheric and water chambers. flowing through the excelsior :22, there is also a In the drawing, l indicates a union connecting tendency for any air entrained in the gasoline to be segregated and to collect near the top of the chamber 20. Upon leaving the excelsior 22, substantially all of the water in the gasoline has been segregated. The gasoline leaving the excelsior flows past a way 21 leading to a dome or trap 28 on the upper side of the chamber 29. At the top of the dome is a restricted orifice 2% discharging into a chamber 39 vented to atmosphere by a vent line 31. From one aspect, a certain fraction of the gasoline flowing into the pressure chamber 2G is bypassed through the trap 28 and is discharged into an atmospheric chamber as where the air has a chance to separate from the gasoline and to ilow out through the vent line 3i. Since the way Z'i to the trap 28 is in the upper part of the pressure chamber and is oi relatively smaller cross-section than the trap, the mixture of gasoline and air within the trap is relatively quiet and there is substantially no danger of back flow through the way 2? which might result in the mixing of air in the gasoline. Ne gasoline flows out of the chamber 29 until the pressure is sufficient to overcome a check valve 32 held closed by a spring 33. There is also a flapper valve 3 controlled by a float 35 in the sump 5 which raises to shut off the flow through the valve 3'2 whenever the water level in the sump rises to a point at which there is danger of re-entraining water in the gasoline flowing through the valve 32. So long as the water level in the sump 26 is below the danger level, the float 35 sinks in the gasoline and holds the flapper lid in the lowered position. it is only when the water level rises that the float 35 raises the flapper to the shut position. Through the coaction of the spring check valve 32 and the flapper E l, gasoline is always maintained above the check valve and no water can flow through the valve. The gasoline flowing through the check valve flows out through an opening 3'6 (Fig. 5) to which the lower end of the meter in take line H: is connected.

Since at all times during the operation or the pump there is a continual flow of gasoline and air (if present) through the orifice 29, it is necessary that some provision be made for returning the excess gasoline to the pump. This is effected through a float controlled valve 31 which is closed whenever a float 38 is in the position shown in Fig. 7. As the gasoline level rises in the atmospheric chamber 3%), the float S8 lifts the valve 31 and connects the bottom of the atmospheric chamber to a line 39 leading back to the pump suction inlet 23. The float controlled valve 31 insures that primarily gasoline is returned to the suction inlet and that the air which may be discharged through the orifice 29 has a chance to vent to the atmosphere through the vent line 3!.

In cold climates where temperatures are below freezing, freezing of water in the sump is prevented by an immersion type electric heating element at enclosed in a casing t! projecting into the lower part of the sump and removably secured thereto by a cover plate t2. Since the heating element is kept out of contact with the gasoline by the casing il, there is no fire hazard. Other heaters are available. At infrequent intervals, the water collected in the sump is drained through an opening 32 which is normally closed by a plug.

With this arrangement, both water and air elimination are provided within a space such that the result can be accomplished within a standard gasoline service station pump. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that all of the components can be easily serviced. The pump 3 is bolted onto the under side of the assembly and can be removed for replacement or service without breaking the intake line 2 from the underground storage tank. The excelsior 22 can be removed and replaced by removing the cover plate 2!, which is accessible from the front of the unit. The intake strainer H can be removed for cleaning by unthreading a plug H, which is likewise accessible from the front of the unit. The float and flapper 34 are accessible for servicing upon removal of an end plate M. The spring loaded check valve 32, which keeps the discharge lines 10, H and the hose full of gasoline, can be serviced by removal or a plate d5 on which the spring 33 is seated. This plate can be removed without interfering with the line 39. The atmospheric chamber 31] has its top wall formed by a removable cover 46 which on its upper surface has a pad M on which the motor is mounted.

What is claimed as new is:

i. In a computer type gasoline service station dispensing device having a casing housing in the upper part thereof a computer and a meter driving the com uter, an intake line to the meter having a spring loaded check valve preventing reverse ficw back through the meter and preventing fiow to the meter until the gasoline pressure overcomes the spring loading, a discharge line from the meter leading to a delivery hose, and a pump in the lower part of the casing hava suction inlet for connection to a storage tank and having a discharge, the combination of pressure chamber mounted in the casing between the pump discharge and the check valve and having one end connected to the pump discharge and the other end connected to the check valve, pack of excelsior intermediate the ends of the pressure chamber through which the gasoline flows and in which entrained water is segregasoline and 1 chamber flows,

gated, drain from the lower part of the pressure chamber beyond the excelsior as regards the flow of gascline, a sump connected to the drain, a float in the sump of specific gravity to sink in float in water, a valve controlled by the float for shutting off the flow of gasoline to the intake line to the meter in response to a rise of the water level in the sump, a dome-like chamber for collecting air having an inlet from the pressure chamber in front of the check valve as regards the how of gasoline, an orifice leading from the upper part of the dome through which a fraction of the gasoline entering the pressure said orifice being of greatly restricted cross-section compared to the inlet, a chamber vented to the atmosphere receiving the discharge from the orifice, a float controlled valve controlling the flow from the atmospheric chamber, and a line leading from said last valve to the pump suction inlet.

2. In a computer type gasoline service station dispensing device having a casing in the upper part thereof a computer and a meter driving the computer, an intake line to the meter having a spring loaded check valve preventing reverse flow back through the meter and pre venting how to the meter until the gasoline pressure overcomes the spring loading, a discharge line from the meter leading to a delivery hose, and a pump in the lower part of the casing having a suction inlet and discharge, the combination of a pressure chamber casing having a suction inlet for connection to a storage tank and inlet and discharge passages registering with the pump inlet and discharge upon attachment diate the ends of the pressure chamber through of the pump to the pressure chamber casing, the which the gasoline flows, a drain from the lower discharge passage being at one end of the prespart of the chamber beyond the body as regards sure chamber casing and the other end of the the flow of gasoline, a sump connected to the segregated, a drain from the lower part of the spouse to a rise of the Water level in the sump. pressure chamber beyond the excelsior as re- 4. In a gasoline service station dispensing degards the flow of gasoline, a sump connected to vice including a pump, a pressure chamber havthe drain, a float in the sump of specific gravity ing one end connected to the pump discharge to sink in gasoline and float in Water, a valve and having at the other end an outlet including controlled by the float for shutting on the flow a check valve, a pack of material having the propof gasoline to the intake line to the meter in erties of segregating entrained air and Water response to a rise of the Water level in the sump, drops or emulsion from gasoline intermediate the a dome-like chamber for collecting air having an ends of the pressure chamber through which inlet from the pressure chamber in front of the the gasoline fiovvs, a drain from the lower part check valve as regards the flow oi gasoline, an or" the pressure chamber beyond the excelsior as orifice leading from the upper part of the dome egards the flow of gasolin a p connected the pressule chamber f ows said orifice being to sink in gasoline and float in Water, a valve of greatly r stricted cross-section compared to n led by the fl t fol s hfi Off the l w the inlet, a chamber vented to the atmosphere of gasoline to the outlet in response to a use receiving the discharge from the orifice, a float of the Water level in the sump, a dome-like chamcontrolled valve controlling the flow from the her for collecting air having an inlet from the atmospheric chamber, and a line leading from pressure chamber in front of the check valve said last valve to the pump suction inlet as regards the flow of gasol ne, an orifice leading 3 In a computer type gasoline service station cm the upper part of the dome through which dispensing device having a casing housing in the a fraction of the gasoline entering the pressure upper part thereor a computer and a meter drivhamber fiOWS S d ifi 9m f gt flatly venting flow to the meter until the gasoline prescontrolling the flow from the atmospheric chamsure overcomes the spring loading, a discharge her, and a line leading from said last valve to line from the meter leading to a delivery hose, the pump suction inlet.

ing a suction inlet for connection to a storage References Cited in the fi Of this p ent tank and having a discharge, the combination of i a pressure chamber having one end connected UNUED STATES PATENTS to the pump discharge and the other end con- Nu b r nected to the check valve, a body of material f j 5: i i 3 preferentially wettable by gasoline and not by 2,259,771 Oberly Oct 1941 2,412,841 Spangler Dec. 1'7, 1946 

